In discussions about wind tunnel testing and flow measurement, industry narratives often concentrate on national laboratories and flagship research centers, those that are well-funded, widely documented, and house ample equipment. In contrast, mid-sized laboratories such as OEM facilities and R&D segments operate quietly in the background—supporting product development, applied research, and validation work with limited structural advantages. The tools that large laboratories take as granted, such as pressure scanners and precise measurement instruments, are more often carefully considered and selected by middle sized facilities. Selecting the right pressure scanner to fit your research equipment and environment will go a long way in the operation and development of your facility. Windtuner puts great focus on lifting the performance of pressure measurement systems for the companies in the middle ground.
A Pressure Measurement System Including a Windtuner Pressure Scanner
Stability Instead of Abundance
Large laboratories have abundant resources to back up their researches. Leading teams in key industries has the luxury of multiple pressure scanners, spare probes, backup calibration paths, and dedicated maintenance teams. Mid-sized labs have to deal with technical issues otherwise. When a pressure scanner goes down or a probe drifts out of calibration, it costs us time and progress.
For the efficiency and cohesion of the team, stability is equally important as scale. Ideally, we would hope a pressure scanner can operate for the longest time before it needs its next calibration. We want a pressure scanner that can be sent for professional recalibration and maintenance when necessary, but otherwise works flawlessly in harsh and prolonged measurements without additional care or drawbacks. Multi-hole probes should be able to be installed repeatedly without deforming subtly and compromising data quality. A slightly smaller system that runs consistently delivers more value than a larger one that demands constant attention.
Calibration That Fits the Workflow
Big labs often operate dedicated calibration facilities or maintain standing access to accredited infrastructure. Calibration is routine and scheduled, allowing the team to rotate their equipment and always have something to work with. Mid-sized labs rely more on ensuring(or hoping) that the current pressure scanner and multi-hole probes stay accurate for the entire duration of the project.
In many mid-sized labs, calibration is a disruptive and unpleasant concept. Probes or pressure scanners have to be unattached, shipped out, scheduled weeks in advance, and documented separately from the test itself. Engineers lose testing time, projects pause, and time is spent on paperwork rather than engineering. Because of that, calibration is the equivalent to postpone to many researchers.
This is especially critical for multi-hole probes. Flow angle and velocity data collected by five-hole and seven-hole probes are the beginning of the entire process of pressure measurement.
Automation Without Complexity
Large facilities implement automated measurement systems regularly. Probe traverses, synchronized data acquisition, and motion control are deeply embedded into test infrastructure. Many mid-sized labs are cautious and take relatively slow steps to forming a automated system of measurement tools. The cost and effort to putting together these instruments seems like not that much of a hurry for a team that still has many other issues to deal with. That is not necessarily the case. Windtuner has a systematized portfolio of accurate pressure measurement scanners and probes that form a automated process. We have a self-developed WindLabX software that adopts LabVIEW visual programming method and includes a variety of functional modules to achieve computation of collected data. Our products are also designed to integrate into existing measurement systems to support the cohesive growth of your current equipment.
Also, partial automation delivers disproportionate gains. Electric Actuators paired with motion control modules reduce variables caused by operators. When measurement and control software integrates probe motion, pressure acquisition, and data handling in a single system, tests become faster without demanding too much manpower contribution.
Mid-sized labs do not need top-notch, commissioned equipment. You do, however, deserve to have quickly installed automated and digitized pressure measurement systems to take on the most painstaking parts of your job for your team.
A System That Grows With the Lab
Perhaps the most overlooked need is growth compatibility. Big labs expand horizontally, adding parallel systems. Mid-sized labs grow incrementally, adding channels, probes, or test capabilities one project at a time.
Windtuner develops measurement solutions focused on the middle ground. By combining calibrated probes, pressure scanners with ±0.05% FS accuracy, accessible calibration wind tunnel resources, and integrated measurement and control software, Windtuner addresses the key issues big labs take for granted and mid-sized labs live without, at the fairest cost. Pressure scanners that integrate cleanly into existing networks, modular probe configurations, and measurement and control software that supports multi-device expansion are most ideal, like our Windtuner Ethernet Intelligent Pressure Scanner.
When pressure scanners, probes, calibration processes, and software are designed as parts of a coherent system, the gap between mid-sized and large labs narrows substantially. The strategy is to use the lowest cost to solve the largest issues.
For a middle-sized laboratory, the progress of growth and expansion does not purely rely on upgrading into more expensive gear. It begins from operating smarter, and becoming a more professional team by completing projects with tools designed for the realities they face every day.
